Apparatus for doffing spinning frames



May 7, 1963 Filed July 11. 1960 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR., ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING SPINNING FRAMES 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 W La nl w T-EW'mi' A new HA cumson Jr James F. Kinj Jl BY/PM, JWN PM2@ ATTORNEY S May7, 1963 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR., ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING SPINNING FRAMES Filed July 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet2 NMI- INVENTRS Agnew Ho/mson Jr BY James F. K/LV Jr MJWAN AAA,

ATTORNEYS May 7, 1963 A. H. BAHNsoN, .1r-z.,v ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS Foa DoFFING SPINNING FRAMES Filed July 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTORS Agnew H. [3a/uvson Jr.

Ja/rnesf Kin@ ,Jr

mf .1 J, JW A mw ATTORNYS May 7, 1963 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR., ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING SPINNING FRAMES Filed July 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet4 INVENTORS Agnew H-B/lbhson Jl. James E KI'HJ Jr.

v ATTORNEY 5 May 7, 1963 A. H. BAHNSON, JR., ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS FoR DoRFING SPINNING FRAMES Filed July 11, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet5 h m A A m N L y NN N A M A n w Y. Q w w *Y i :'4 o N m@ el R Il@ W N am 5 m N Nb A m Q g o mr-I' o Il: III):

N l o AML m l n LN m l h N i NNN NNQMNNNNQNQN m XN l\ g, A N. UAL AAgnew H. Balmon Jr. James F Kl'n'qJr ATTORNEY .S

May 7, 1963 A. H. BAHNsoN, JR., ETAL 3,088,266

APPARATUS FOR DOFFING SPINNING FRAMES Filed July 1l. 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet6 O 6j a @9:70. 7

4/ S W Agnew H. [Bw/1h80" JF ATTORNEYS United States Patent O pany,Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed .uly 11,1960, Ser. No. 41,883 8 Claims. (Cl. 57-53) This invention relates toapparatus for doiiing spinning frames and the like and more particularlyto apparatus of the type described, designed to travel along thespinning frame from one end to the other and do the full bobbins fromthe spindles individually and in a consecutive manner.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved doingapparatus which will operate more quickly than those of previously knownconstructions. The inventive concept is characterized by a truck orcarriage which is moved at a constant rate along the row of spindles onwhich bobbins have been fully wound, and means for exerting an initiallifting movement on the bobbins in a consecutive manner so as to breakthem loose from their respective spindles and feed them verticallyupward into the nip between a pair of pinch rolls which accelerates theupward motion, the bobbins being literally ejected from the rolls, afterpassing therebetween, into a chute which serves to guide them into asuitable boxlike receptacle mounted on the carriage. A principaladvantage of the invention is that the pinch rolls operating inconjunction with the comparatively short-stroke bobbin removal meansresults in a considerable reduction in the doiiing time per spindle,thus reducing, to a considerable extent, the total time required to dolione side of the spinning frame and hence effecting an economy inoperation since the shut-down time of the frame is correspondinglyreduced.

A further advantage of the invention is that the improved doiiingapparatus may be installed on conventional spinning frames with aminimum of alteration.

The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages inherent in theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of one practical embodiment thereof and from theaccompanying drawings which illustrate the construction. In thesedrawings:

FIG. l is a view in side elevation of the doilng apparatus looking inthe direction of the spinning frame;

FIG. 2 is also a view in side elevation of the doing apparatus lookingin the direction away from the spinning frame;

FIG. 3 is a view of the doing apparatus in top plan;

FIG. 4 is a view in end elevation of the doiiing apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is also a horizontal section taken on line 6-.6 of FIG. l;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view showing the construction of the gripper armsby which the full bobbins are lifted from their spindles into the pinchrolls; and

FIGS. 8-11 are schematic views showing the sequential steps involved inremoving a bobbin from its associated spindle and transferring the sameinto a chute by means of the pinch rolls.

With reference now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1-3, thedofng apparatus is characterized in general by a truck or carriage thatis arranged to move longitudinally along the spinning frame F from oneend to the other. The truck structure may take various forms and in thepresent embodiment is characterized by a rectangular chassis l1@ madefrom tubular steel members 11 which may be welded or otherwise securedtogether.

3,388,265 Patented May 7, 1963 ice Castered wheels 12 at the front endof the chassis and non-Castered wheels l13 at the rear of the chassisenable the truck to roll along the oor 14 of the spinning room in theaisle between adjacent spinning frames.

Upstanding at each of the front corners of the chassis 10 is a post 15which can be made from tubular steel and similar upstanding posts 16 areprovided at each side of the chassis substantially midway of its length.The tubular steel posts 15 and 16 are interconnected at the top by meansof transverse and longitudinal tubular steel members 17, 18. These fourposts 15 and 16 are provided to support the head on which the doingcomponents are mounted. The doiiing head 19 is seen to be of rectangularconfiguration and its dimensions are such that it can be tted in ahorizontal attitude within the rectangular space established by the fourupright posts K15, 16. Because the floor of a spinning room may often beuneven, it is desirable to mount the dofiing head, which is guided alongthe frame at a constant height, so as to permit it to yield in avertical direction relative to the truck. To this end, it will be seenthat the dong head is not mounted rigidly on the truck but ratherincludes at each corner thereof a guide sleeve 21 which makes a closesliding ltit with the correspondingly positioned upstanding post 15, 16.To carry the weight of the dong head, a tension spring 22 is provided ateach of the posts 1S, 16. The upper end of each spring 22 is anchored toits corresponding post by means of a laterally projecting lug 23 and thelower end of each spring is connected to the correspondingly positionedguide sleeve 21. Consequently, the doiiing head 19 has a spring type ofsuspension which permits of a vertical yielding movement with respect tothe truck.

In order to establish the necessary guiding relationship between thedoing head and the side of the spinning frame so that the head willtravel accurately along the line of bobbins to be doied, upper andlower, parallel spaced guide rails 24, 25 are secured to the spinningframe and these rails which can take the form of angle iron extend fromone end of the frame to the other. The doi'iing head includes avertically disposed plate member 26 aligned parallel with the guiderails 24, 2S on which are rotatably mounted two longitudinally spacedguide wheels 27, 28 each having a peripheral groove that establishes arunning engagement with the vertically upward extending llange of theupper guide rail 24. A third guide wheel 29 also rotatably mounted onplate member 26 beneath and intermediate the upper guide wheels 27, 28is likewise provided with a peripheral groove which establishes arunning engagement with the vertically downward flange of the lowerguide rail 25. The lower guide Wheel 29 is preferably spring mounted topermit of a slight vertical movement in order to facilitate the placingof the plate member 26 on the guide rails 24, 25.

As previously explained, a principal object of this invention is to dolthe bobbins in a consecutive manner, as the dofting head moveslongitudinally along the spinning frame, by means which exert an initiallifting movement of the bobbins so as to break them loose from thespindles and feed them upwardly into the nip between a pair of pinchrolls which serve to impart a quick accelerating force upward to thebobbins. The accelerated bobbins then pass upwardly from the rolls at arelatively high velocity into the mouth of a chute and are then carriedthrough the chute under their own momentum to a point of discharge intoa suitable box-like receptacle which can be carried by the truck.

In the present embodiment, the initial lifting movement is imparted tothe bobbins by means of a gripper arm assembly which includes 4a pair ofpivotally mounted jaws mounted on a lifting arm to which is imparted thenecessary compound motion for acting upon the bobbins in succession. Y

As seen in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the two gripper jaws are indicated at 31,and each jaw is carried by one arm of a bellcrank 32 which is pivotallymounted at the outer end of a gripper arm 33 for motion in a generallyhorizontal plane. The oppositeend of gripper arm 33 terminates in ahorizontally extending pivot bearing 34 mounted in a fork 35 at theupper end of a vertical sleeve 36 which is mounted upon a verticallyextending shaft 37, the sleeve 36 being adapted to be oscillated aboutthe axis of this shaft in a manner to be later explained. Push-pull rods38 are employed to open and closeV the gripper jaws 31. One end of eachof the rods 3S is articulated to the other yarm of the associatedbellcrank 32, and the opposite end of each rod 38 which extends parallelwith arm 33 is articulated in one arm of a bellcrank 39 which ispivotally mounted on fork 35 for motion in a vertical plane. The otherarms of the bellcranks 39 are interconnected by means of a horizontalbridge 41 for simultaneous movement. Connected to the ybridge 41 by auniversal joint 42 is the upper end of a connecting rod 43, and asimilar universal joint 44 connects the lower end of rod 43 to anintermediate point on a cam follower arm 45 which is adapted to beactuated in la vertical plane.

Connected to the underside of the gripper arm 31 near the outer endthereof by a universal joint 46 is the upper end of a connecting rodassembly 47, and a similar universal joint 48 connects the lower end ofthis assembly to the outer end of another cam follower arm 49. Theconnecting rod assembly 47 is preferably comprised of a cylinder 51, apiston 52 operating in the cylinder, and a helical'loading spring 53located between the piston head and the upper end of the cylinder. Thelatter connects directly with the upper universal joint 46, and thepiston 52 connects directly with the lower universal joint 48. Thepurpose of this construction is to enable a hammerlike blow to beimparted to the gripper arm 33 so as to facilitate breaking loose thebobbins from their respective spindles. With the construction described,the piston 52 will have an initial amount of free travel upwardly as thecam follower arm 49 rises until the loading spring 53 bottoms whereuponthe piston and cylinder then become effectively coupled and thrustupwardly as a unit against the underside of the gripper arm.

For Yoscillating the gripper assembly, including the gripper jaws 31andarm 33, about the axis of shaft 37,

it will be seen from FIGS. l and 2 that the upper end of sleeve 36 isprovided with a laterally extending arm 55 which is connected to theupper end of an arm 56 that extends upward from a third cam follower arm57. As the latter raises and lowers, arm 56 will oscillate in a verticalplane thus causing sleeve 36 to be oscillated about its vertical axis. Ahinge 58 is provided in arm 56 to compensate for oscillating motion ofsleeve 36, and a similar hinge 59 is provided in arm 55 to compensatefor the arcuate motion of arm 56.

For oscillating the sleeve 36 in a vertical plane so as to maintain thecenter of the gripper jaws 31 in alignment with the line of bobbins 61as sleeve 36 and gripper arm 33 oscillate about the axis of shaft 37,Vthe latter forms a part of an upward extension of a fourth cam followerarm 62.

The outer ends of the four cam follower arms 45, 49, 57 and 62 areactuated by cams 63-66, respectively which are mounted upon ahorizontally extending cam shaft 67 located below the level of the camfollower arms and parallel with the guide rails 24, 25. Suitable springmeans 60 may be provided for each of the cam follower arms to maintainthem in engagement with their respective actuating cams.

The inner ends of the four cam follower arms terminate in axiallyaligned pivot bearings 68 71 which `are mounted upon a horizontal shaft72 parallel with cam shaft 67 so as to permit pivotal movement of thecam follower arms about the shaft axis.

The present embodiment uses -a single electric motor 73 to drive thetruck longitudinally of the spinning frameV a horizontally extendingdrive shaft 77 which is parallelV to the cam shaft 67. Electric power tothe motor 73 can be provided in a suitable manner such as byconventional sliding shoes and electrified rails, not shown, which maybe mounted on the frame. Drive shaft 77 carries a second sprocket 78which is coupled by means of a drive chain 79 to a sprocket S0 mountedon one end of cam shaft 67 previously described.

VA bevel gear set including one bevel gear 81 on shaft 77 and anotherbevel gear 82 on shaft 83 is used to transfer rotation of shaft 77through 90 to shaft 83 which extends normal to shaft 77 in the directionof the spinning frame and terminates exteriorly of plate 26 in a rackpinion 84 which meshes with the teeth of a rack gear 85 which may beformed at the underside of the upper guide rail 24. Thus when motor 73Ais energized, it serves to drive cam shaft 67 and also rack pinion 84along the rack 85 `and thus causes the truck to -rnove longitudinally ofthe frame.

Secured to the other end of cam shaft 67 is a-drive sprocket S6 which iscoupled by a drive chain 87 to an upper sprocket 88 secured upon a shaft89 which extends parallel to cam shaft 67. Shaft 89 terminates within ahousing 91 which includes a bevel gear set and a support Ybearing forone end of another horizontal shaft 92 which extends normal to shaft 89in the direction of the spin-V ning frame. The other end of shaft 92terminates in a pinch roll 93 which is suitably secured to the shaft andlocated above the gripper jaws 31. Thus the pinch roll 93 is driven bymeans of the shaft 92 which receives its driving power from shaft 89through the bevel gear set Vwithin housing 91.

Y The peripheral velocity of pinch roll 93 is preferably such as tomatch the upward velocity of the bobbin as it enters the rolls 93, 96.

Disposed parallel with shaft 92 is a similar rotatable shaft 94 havingone end thereof mounted within a bearing housing 95. Shaft 94 alsoterminates in a pinch roll 96 located parallel to and spaced laterallyof roll 93 but is not power driven. It can be power driven, if desired,but Y only one of the two rolls 93, 96 is required to be power driven inorder to accelerate the bobbins in an upwardV direction, as they arelifted upward by the gripper jaws 31 into the nip between the pinchrolls.

Full bobbins 61 after being doifed by the gripper jaws 31 and passedupwardly through the rolls 93, 96 are carried by their own momentumthrough a chute 97 into a box-like receptacle 98 carried by the truckrearwardly of the doiiing head.

The dofling apparatus operates in a cyclic manner and the various phasesof operation in each cycle are illustrated in sequence in FIGS. 8-11.

By way of brief review, it has been explained that the function of thefour cam follower arms 45, 49, 57 and 62 is to compound their motion andtransfer it to the gripper arm 33 to maintain the gripper jaws 31 inproper relation to the bobbin 61 throughout the entire dofng cycle. Camfollower arm 57 serves to move the gripper arm 33 and jaws 31 in alongitudinal oscillating pattern to compensate for the continuousmovement of the doihng head along the line of bobbins on the spindles99; cam follower arm 62 moves the gripper arm and jaws in a transversedirection relative to the spinning frame to compensate for the arc ofswinging caused by cam follower arm 57; cam follower arm 45 actuates thegripper jaws 31 at the proper instant so as to grasp the bobbin;

and cam follower arm 49 moves the gripper arm 33 and jaws in a verticaldirection to position the jaws 31 over the bobbin and to remove thebobbin and lift it into the nip between the rolls 93, 96 directly abovethus accelerating the bobbin upward and transferring it to the chute 97through which it is passed into the receptacle 98.

FIG. 8 shows the positions of the various operating components at thebeginning of a complete cycle of operation as a bobbin 61 is approached.In this view, the rolls 93, 96 have not as yet reached a positiondirectly over the bobbin and the jaws 31 are open and adjacent the upperend of the bobbin. In the next view, FIG. 9, the rolls have moved moreclosely to a position directly over the bobbin and the jaws havedescended along the bobbin and moved to a closed position around thesame. ln the next view, FiG. l0, the rolls -are directly over the bobbinand the jaws have now lifted the bobbin from its spindle 99 into the nipbetween the rolls. -In the next view, FIG. 11, the bobbin has beenejected upwardly from the rolls into the chute 97 and the jaws haveopened. The dong unit is then readied to doif the next bobbin in theline by swinging the raised jaws into 4position over that bobbinwhereupon the parts will -again -be in the position shown in FIG. 8, anda new cycle commences.

In conclusion, -while one practical embodiment of the invention has beendescribed and illustrated, various modifications in the construction andarrangement of the component parts are possible within the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the appended claims since theinventive concept resides principally in the two coordinated features oflifting the bobbins from their spindles in succession as the doflingapparatus travels along the line of bobbins into the nip between rollswhich then accelerate the upward motion and effect transfer of thebobbins through a chute or equivalent guide structure into a receptacle.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for dong spinning frames and the like comprising a doifngunit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on theframe, said dofng unit including means for lifting the bobbins insuccession from their respective spindles, roll means above andcooperative with said lifting means, and bobbins for effecting atransfer of each bobbin from said lifting means and thereby continuingthe upward movement of said bobbins, and means rotating said roll means.

2. Apparatus for doffing spinning frames and the like comprising a dongunit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on theframe, said dong unit including =a receptacle for the doffed bobbins,means for lifting the lbobbins in succession `from their respectivespindles, roll means above and cooperative with said lifting means andbobbin for effecting a transfer of each bobbin from said lifting meansand thereby continuing the upward movement of said bobbins, meansrotating said roll means, and a chute extending from said roll means tosaid receptacle, the entrance to said chute being located above saidroll means.

3. Apparatus for doing spinning frames and the like comprising -a doingunit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on theframe, said doing unit including means for lifting the bobbins insuccession from their respective spindles, a pair of spaced rollslocated above said lifting means, said lifting means serving to feed thebobbins into the space between said rolls, and said rolls serving tocontinue the upward movement of the bobbins, and means for rotating atleast one of said rolls.

6 4. Apparatus for doiing spinning frames and the like comprising achassis arranged to move longitudinally along the frame, a receptacle onsaid chassis for the dolfed bobbins, a dofling head mounted on saidchassis, guide means on said frame cooperative with and engagingcomplementary guide means on said doftlug head for guiding said doinghead along a xed path longitudinally along a line of bobbins on saidframe, means carried by said dofng head for lifting the bobbins insuccession from their respective spindles, roll means carried by saiddoffing head above and cooperative with said lifting means and bobbinfor continuing the upward movement of said bobbins, means rotating saidroll means, and a chute extending from said roll means to saidreceptacle, the entrance to said chute being located above said rollmeans.

5. Apparatus for doffing spinning frames and the like as dened in claim4 wherein the mounting for said dofling head on said chassis includesresilient means permitting a yielding movement therebetween in avertical direction as said chassis moves along the frame to compensatefor any unevenness in the level of the ioor on which the frame issupported.

6. Apparatus for dong spinning frames and the like as defined in claim 4and which further includes an electric motor on said dofng head, a gearrack extending longitudinally on said frame parallel with said guidemeans, and a rack pinion meshed with said gear rack, said rack pinionbeing driven by said motor whereby to eifect longitudinal movement ofsaid dofhng 'head and related chassis lalong said frame.

7. Apparatus for dofling spinning frames and the like as defined inclaim 4 wherein said means for lifting said bobbins in succession fromtheir respective spindles comprises a pair of jaws for gripping thebobbin and which are mounted for actuation towards and away from eachother at one end of a lifting arm, mutually perpendicular pivot meanssupporting the other end of said lifting arm for pivotal movement ofsaid arm in vertical and horizontal planes respectively, a first camfollower arm and means controlled thereby for actuating said jaws, asecond earn follower arm and means controlled thereby for actuating saidlifting arm pivotally in a vertical plane, a third cam follower arm `andmeans controlled thereby for actuating said lifting arm pivotally in ahorizontal plane, a cam shaft including cams thereon individual to saidcam follower arms for actuating the same in a predetermined sequence,and means lfor `driving said cam shaft in rotation.

8. Apparatus for dong spinning frames and the like as defined in claim 7wherein said means for driving said cam shaft is constituted by anelectric motor carried by said doflng head, said motor also serving asthe means for rotating said roll means, and further serving to move saiddoing head and chassis longitudinally along said frame, there being onsaid frame a gear rack extending longitudinally thereof, and a rackpinion meshed with said rack and which is driven by said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS692,491 Stell Feb. 4, 1902 1,067,058 Peterson July 8, 1913 2,379,713Hohl July 3, 1945 2,531,238 Tandler et al Nov. 21, 1950 2,886,940 Uranoet al May 19, 1959 2,961,822 Escursell Nov. 29, 1960

1. APPARATUS FOR DOFFING SPINNING FRAMES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING ADOFFING UNIT ARRANGED TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A LINE OF FULLBOBBINS ON THE FRAME, SAID DOFFING UNIT INCLUDING MEANS FOR LIFTING THEBOBBINS IN SUCCESSION FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE SPINDLES, ROLL MEANS ABOVEAND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID LIFTING MEANS, AND BOBBINS FOR EFFECTING ATRANSFER OF EACH BOBBIN FROM SAID LIFTING MEANS AND THEREBY CONTINUINGTHE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID BOBBINS, AND MEANS ROTATING SAID ROLL MEANS.